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The Purple Martin Colony
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The Great Plains Nature Center is the proud landlord for a colony of Purple Martins! These are the largest species of North American swallows, and are of special interest to people because they will use nests provided by humans. We put up our Purple Martin houses in spring 1999 and were pleasantly surprised to have full occupancy within a month! | |||||||||||||||||||||||
In 2000 we documented the progress of our "tenants"
on our web site. We had weekly updates on our little families, with pictures and
information about our birds and Purple Martin natural history. Our birds raised 29
young in 2000. See the photos and information on these pages for what a
"typical" nesting cycle is like.
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| Click here for this year's (2008)
activity. We began seeing martins the last week of March Click below to see how our colony did each year.
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Purple Martins east of the Rocky Mountains in the United States use artificial nesting structures almost exclusively. Our colony has eight units mounted in a circular array on a flagpole-like structure. Each unit is a white plastic artificial gourd with an entrance hole for the birds and a screw-on lid for checking the nest. |
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| Because of problems with starlings, in 2005 we modified our nests with starling-excluding openings and they did their job well. Here is what the opening looks like. The platform has a non-skid material on it that gives the birds better traction for wiggling through the opening. There is a similar platform on the inside so they can wiggle back out again! | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The whole contraption can be lowered for maintenance and inspection. The birds leave while this is being done, but otherwise they don't seem to mind very much. The nests stay in the same compass position as they are raised and lowered. This is vital because the birds orient to the position of "their" nest, and will get confused if it changes its place. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
MARTIN NEWS FOR 2008
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| Summary of nesting
activity in our colony in 2008
Nest 1 faces East and they are numbered in clockwise order |
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Date |
Nest 1 |
Nest 2 |
Nest 3 |
Nest 4 |
Nest 5 |
Nest 6 |
Nest 7 |
Nest 8 |
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8-May |
Complete Nest | empty | Complete Nest |
Complete Nest | 2 eggs | Complete Nest | Complete Nest | Partial Nest | ||||||||||||||||
1-May |
Complete Nest | empty | Partial Nest |
Complete Nest | Complete Nest | SPARROWS! | Complete Nest | Partial Nest | ||||||||||||||||
For pictures from a typical nesting season, see the reports for May, June and July 2000.
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| Summary of nesting activity in our colony in 2007 | ||||||||||
Date |
Nest 1 |
Nest 2 |
Nest 3 |
Nest 4 |
Nest 5 |
Nest 6 |
Nest 7 |
Nest 8 |
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10-July |
Partial Nest | ALL GONE! |
Partial Nest |
ALL GONE! | empty | ALL GONE! | Partial Nest | Partial Nest | ||
3-July |
Partial Nest | ALL GONE! |
Partial Nest |
3 Nestlings | empty | 6 Nestlings | Partial Nest | Partial Nest | ||
26-June |
Partial Nest | 5 Nestlings 1 Fledged |
Partial Nest |
3 Nestlings | empty | 7 Nestlings | Partial Nest | Partial Nest | ||
19-June |
Partial Nest | 6 Nestlings |
Partial Nest |
4 Nestlings | empty | 7 Nestlings | Partial Nest | Partial Nest | ||
12-June |
Partial Nest | 6 Nestlings |
Partial Nest |
5 Hatchlings | empty | 7 Nestlings | Partial Nest | Partial Nest | ||
6-June |
Partial Nest | 6 Nestlings |
Partial Nest |
5 Eggs | empty | 7 Hatchlings | Partial Nest | Partial Nest | ||
30-May |
Partial Nest | 3 Eggs & 3 Hatchlings |
Partial Nest |
5 Eggs | empty | 7 Eggs | Partial Nest | Partial Nest | ||
22-May |
Partial Nest | 6 Eggs | Partial Nest |
4 Eggs | empty | 7 Eggs! | Partial Nest | Partial Nest | ||
15-May |
Partial Nest | 6 Eggs | SPARROWS! |
empty | empty | 1 Egg | Partial Nest | Partial Nest | ||
8-May |
Partial Nest | Partial Nest | SPARROWS! |
empty | empty | Partial Nest | Partial Nest | Partial Nest | ||
1-May |
Partial Nest | Partial Nest | SPARROWS! |
empty | empty | Partial Nest | Partial Nest | Partial Nest | ||
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| Summary of nesting activity in our colony in 2006 | ||||||||||
Date |
Nest 1 |
Nest 2 |
Nest 3 |
Nest 4 |
Nest 5 |
Nest 6 |
Nest 7 |
Nest 8 |
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20-July |
ALL GONE! |
Partial Nest |
2 dead nestlings |
3 eggs |
empty |
empty |
ALL GONE! |
Partial Nest |
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13-July |
Not checked this week |
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6-July |
ALL GONE! |
Partial Nest |
5 nestlings |
3 eggs! |
empty |
empty |
3 nestlings |
Partial Nest |
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29-June |
5 nestlings |
Partial Nest |
5 nestlings |
Complete Nest |
removed the sparrow nest |
empty |
3 nestlings & severe mite infestation |
Partial Nest |
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22-June |
5 nestlings |
Partial Nest |
5 nestlings |
Complete Nest |
possible sparrow nest |
empty |
4 nestlings |
Partial Nest |
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15-June |
5 nestlings, 1infertile egg |
Partial Nest |
4 hatchlings, 1 egg |
Complete Nest |
2 eggs |
SPARROWS! |
4 eggs, 1 hatchling |
Partial Nest |
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8-June |
6 eggs |
Partial Nest |
5 eggs |
Complete Nest |
Complete Nest |
SPARROWS! |
5 eggs |
Partial Nest |
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1-June |
6 eggs |
Partial Nest |
5 eggs |
Complete Nest |
Complete Nest |
dead female, nest material removed |
4 eggs |
Partial Nest |
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25-May |
not checked |
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19-May |
Complete Nest |
Partial Nest |
Complete Nest |
Partial Nest |
Partial Nest |
Partial Nest |
Partial Nest |
no nest yet |
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11-May |
Partial Nest |
Partial Nest |
Partial Nest |
no nest yet |
no nest yet |
no nest yet |
no nest yet |
no nest yet |
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4-May |
Partial Nest |
no nest yet |
Partial Nest |
no nest yet |
no nest yet |
no nest yet |
no nest yet |
no nest yet |
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27-April |
no nest yet |
no nest yet |
no nest yet |
no nest yet |
no nest yet |
no nest yet |
no nest yet |
no nest yet |
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20-April |
no nest yet |
no nest yet |
no nest yet |
no nest yet |
no nest yet |
no nest yet |
SPARROWS! |
no nest yet |
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| Summary of nesting activity in our colony in 2005 | ||||||||||
Date |
Nest 1 |
Nest 2 |
Nest 3 |
Nest 4 |
Nest 5 |
Nest 6 |
Nest 7 |
Nest 8 |
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1-June |
5 eggs |
empty |
1 egg |
empty |
empty |
empty |
empty |
empty |
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8-June |
5 eggs |
empty |
4 eggs |
empty |
empty |
empty |
empty |
empty |
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15-June |
5 hatched |
empty |
4 eggs |
empty |
empty |
empty |
empty |
empty |
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23-June |
4 nestlings |
empty |
4 hatched |
empty |
empty |
empty |
empty |
empty |
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28-June |
4 nestlings |
empty |
4 nestlings |
empty |
empty |
empty |
empty |
empty |
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6-July |
4 nestlings |
empty |
4 nestlings |
empty |
empty |
empty |
empty |
empty |
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12-July |
4 nestlings |
empty |
4 nestlings |
empty |
empty |
empty |
empty |
empty |
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20-July |
All gone! |
empty |
All gone! |
empty |
empty |
empty |
empty |
empty |
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| Summary of nesting activity in our colony in 2000 | ||||||||
| Date | Nest 1 |
Nest 2 |
Nest 3 |
Nest 4 |
Nest 5 |
Nest 6 |
Nest 7 |
Nest 8 |
1-May |
Nest built |
Nest built |
Partial Nest |
Nest built |
Partial Nest |
Partial Nest |
Partial Nest |
Twig |
8-May |
2 eggs |
Nest built |
Partial Nest |
Nest built |
Partial Nest |
Partial Nest |
Partial Nest |
Twig |
15-May |
5 eggs |
6 eggs |
Nest built |
6 eggs |
Nest built |
Nest built, |
Nest built |
Twig |
22-May |
5 eggs |
6 eggs |
4 eggs |
6 eggs |
Nest built |
3 eggs |
4 eggs |
Partial Nest |
30-May |
5 hatched |
5/6 hatched |
4 eggs |
6 hatched |
4 eggs |
3 eggs |
5 eggs |
Partial Nest, |
5-June |
5 nestlings | 6 hatched | 1/4 hatched | 6 nestlings | 4 eggs | 1/4 hatched | 3 eggs | Nest built, 5 eggs |
| 12-June | 5 nestlings | 6 nestlings | 4 hatched | 6 nestlings | 1/4 hatched | 3 nestlings | 3 hatched | 5 eggs |
| 19-June | 5 nestlings, all banded | 6 nestlings, all banded | 4 nestlings | 6 nestlings, all banded | 1 hatched, 3 bad eggs |
3 nestlings | 3 nestlings | 2/5 hatched |
| 26-June | 5 fledged | 6 fledged | 4 nestlings, all banded | 6 fledged | 1 nestling | 3 nestlings, all banded | 2 nestlings banded, 1 dead |
2
nestlings, 3 bad eggs |
| 3-July | 5 fledged | 6 fledged | 4 fledged | 6 fledged | 1 nestling banded and 1 more egg (!) |
3 fledged | 2 fledged | 2 nestlings banded |
| 10-July | 5 fledged | 6 fledged | 4 fledged | 6 fledged | 1 fledged egg abandoned |
3 fledged | 2 fledged | 2 nestlings banded |
To learn more about Purple Martins |
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The Purple Martin Conservation Association |
The Purple Martin Society of
North America |
Questions or comments? Send Email to Jim Mason
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